Sewing-machine



- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

- V J. H. WHITNEY.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 275.966. Patented Apr. 17,1883.

N. PETERS, PhomLRhognphar. Wzshingkm, Dv C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

J. H. WHITNEY.

SEWING MACHINE.

No.-Z75,966. Patented Apr. 17,1883.

1 in W l a NITED STATES ATENT SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,966, dated April 17, 1883.

Application filed December 5, 1832. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn. in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide improvements in sewing-machines whereby elasticity and evenness of motion shall be obtained, thereby facilitating the running of such machines and greatly reducing the wear of the shafts, &c., and the strain on the operator, and whereby access may be conveniently gained to oil and fix the working parts situated under the bed-plate without unscrewing and lifting the machine from the table, and whereby the putting on of the belt is facilitated and the same is prevented from getting off the fly-wheel when the machine is tilted in position to get access underneath the bedplate.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the various parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in Which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a sewing-machine constructed according to my present invention,the table or top of the stand being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, partly in section, through the line 00 an of Fig. 1, as seen in the direction of arrow 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed end view of the elastic bearing of the lily-wheel shaft. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section of the same taken on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line 2 z of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the line to w of Figs.'l and 2, showing the position of the belt-guard. Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line '0 o of Fig. 2, showing an edge View of the elastic bearing of the machine proper. Fig.8 is a detail section, showing the construction of the elastic button by which the bed-plate of the machine is held down upon the table. Fig. 9 is a front view of the machine-frame proper and the counterbalanced needle-arm or needle-bar carrier pivoted thereto. Fig.10 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line a a of Fig. 9.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

A are the end frames of the sewing-machine stand, and A an angular brace having three flanges, a, two of which are secured by screws to the end frames, A, and the third one to the under side of the table-top B, midway between the two end frames. Through the table-top B is an oblong opening, I), in which the machine proper is inserted and pivoted in bearings underneath the table-top in such a manner that when placed in the working position the under side of its bed-plate is flush with the upper surface of the table.

The ordinary treadle, pitma n, and fly-wheel are designated by the letters a, a and 0, re spectively. The stud 0, upon which the flywheel 0 turns, and which in sewing-machines as heretofore constructed is rigidly secured to the frame A, I secure to a block, D, bored and fitted to slide upon two vertical bolts, d, which latter I fasten, one at each side of the stud c, to lugs or flanges E, projecting from the inside of. the frame above and below the said stud and slide-block. The slide-block D is supported upon spiral springs c, which surround the bolts d, and are inserted between the block .1) and the lug or flange E beneath it.

In order to allow of tightening the stud o from the outside of the frame A and to maintain the smooth appearance of the latter, an opening, 0, is formed in the frame, and the block D is made just thick enough and of proper width of its outer portion to lit the width of the said opening 0, and to be flush on the outside with the adjacent outer surfaces of the frame A. The opening 0 is as much higher than the block D as the distance intended for the slide movement of the latter.

In order to relieve the guide-bolts cl from the extra friction and wear due to the preponderance of the fly-wheel C, the block D is provided with aprojection, d, which extends up ward through an opening, 0, in the upper lug E, and is fitted to bear and slide with its innor surface in working contact with the inner side surface of the said opening 0, as seen in Fig. 5. By thus securing the fly-wheel stud to a spring-supported slide-block elasticity and consequent evenness of motion are obtained, and the strain reduced on the muscles of the operator, and thus the same result as pur- M is bent from a strip of steel or other elastic ported to be obtained by the use of elastic treadles is better and more cheaply accomplished.

In order to prevent the belt 1; from accidentally getting off the wheel 0 when the said belt is slackened by the raising ofthe head end of the machine for oiling or cleaning purposes, (as will presently appear,) I secure by a screw,f, to the inner surface of the brace A the vertical slotted inner end f of a belt--- guard, F, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6,) which is bent, as shown in Fig. 6, so that its outer end,f partly encircles the fly-wheel rim in" sufiiciently close proximity at the pointsmarked 00 and z to insure the belt remaining in or re'entering its groove when again tightened. The vertical slot, in the downward projecting inner endfof the guard F, through which slot the screw f is inserted into the brace A, is sufliciently long to allow of vertical adjustment of the guard F in proper position relative to the rim of the wheel before being fastened by tightening the screw f.

Gr is the frame of the machine proper. This is provided across its lower edge with lugs or a continuous hub, g, which is bored through, and a rod, '5, is inserted through the bore, the ends of said rod projecting beyond the ends of the hub in which the rod is fastened, and acting as pivots by which the machine is supported in spring bearings I, attached underneath the table top, one on each side of the opening 11.

Instead of the rod i, the pivots may be formed in the casting upon theends of the hubg; but as that would necessitate a disfiguration of the table top by making slots through it for the lowering of the pivots upon the bearings, I prefer the construction just described, by which the rod 2" is inserted through the bearings and the hub after lowering the machine in place with its bed plate g flush, or nearly so, with the top of the table, and then securing the rod in place by a set screw through the hub, as shown in Fig. 2. The greater portion 9 of the entire bed-plate g g is cast in one piece with the frame G and head-arm g and is of proper width to fill the width of the opening I). The ordinaryremovablebed-plate,g ,through which the feed and needle pass, is then secured in line with the permanent bed plate 9 by suitable screws or other fastening at y. The pivot i of the machine is so located that the right end, or that at which the small fly and band wheelj is situated, will preponderate and keep the head end ofthemachine elevated from thetable unless depressed and fastened thereto. This avoids the danger of the operators fingers being hurt metal in the shape shown in Fig.8, and its contact-surface with the under side of the tabletop is covered with a piece of leather or other packing, m, to insure a tight fit and prevent the noise of vibration. For the same purpose a piece of leather or other packing, i, is inserted between each of the spring-bearings I and the points of the table at which they are fastened by screws F, as shown in Fig. 7. Each bearin g I is made of a strip of steel-plate, which is straight, except at the point where the pivot rests, where it'is bent into semicircular shape to exactlyfit the pivot, and the distance from the pivot to the fasteningscrews 4: is sufficiently large to give the desired spring or elasticity to the bearing. When the machine is in working position there is thus in the button M, plate g and spring-bearings I, as well asin the bearing of the fly-wheel (J, an elastic yielding, which moderates and obviates unevenness of motion and prevents the rapid and excessive wear of the shaft Kand its bearings, prevalent inmachines as heretofore constructed.

J is the eccentric-rod on the shaft K, by which motion is communicated to the needle-arm H, which latter is pivoted at h to the frame Gin the usual manner. The. weight of the needle-bar, which is attached to the forward end of the needle-arm, and the weight also of the latter being greater than that of the other end, produces a diflerence in the resistance between it-s downstroke and its. upstroke which has a tendency to disturb the evenness of the motion.

To equalize the resistance I have provided on that end of the needle-arm H to which the eccentric-rod J is attached a weight, h, formed by an enlargement in the casting, as show'niu Figs. 1 and 9, which, when of proper size, obviates this difficulty.

It will be seen that the putting on of the belt I) is greatly facilitated by this construction, as it is only necessary to turn the button M and allow the machine to tilt into the position shown in Fig. 1, then adjusting the belt while slack, instead of taut, as heretofore; then depressing the bed-plate and again fastening it with the button. The belt, when once applied,

will be kept by the guard F from getting ofl" the wheel when the belt is slackened by the rising of the machine, as before stated. On opposite edges of the bed-plate g are stops N, which by contact with the upper surface of the table B at opposite sides of the opening I),

prevent the machine from tilting too far when the button M is turned off.

The elastic slide-bearing tends to take up the slack due to wear of the belt.

Having thus described my invention, I claim ing of the said wheel, for the purpose hereinj before set forth.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination of the frame A, having stationary upright guides, the movable block D, held by said guides, the wheel 0, pivoted to the block D, and an elastic rest, 6, supporting the said block, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination of the frame A, provided with the opening 0, lugs or flanges E, and guide-bolts din the said flanges, the block D, arranged to slide upon the said guide-bolts, and provided with an upward projection, 61, working against a guidesurface in the-upper lug, the block-supporting springs e, and the wheel 0, pivoted to the slideblock D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with asewing-machine stand and with the machine-frame having pivoting-pins t, of the elastic supports I, made of metallic springs having their free ends bent to form semicircular bearings for the said pins, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination with a sewing-machine table, B, having the opening I) and springbearin gs I underneath at opposite sides of the said opening, the machine-frame G, having stops N upon the bed-plate g and bored hub g, and thorod 'i, inserted through the said hub and in the said bearings I simultaneously, for

. the purpose set forth.

6. In a sewing-machine, the combination, 30 with the table B, wheelsj O, and belt I), of the machine-frame G, the supporting springbearings I, the bed-plate g and the elastic button M, pivoted thereto, for the purpose of producing elasticity and evenness of motion, 5 and reducing the wear of the shaft K and its bearings, substantially as specified.

7. In combination with the frame G and table-top B of a sewing-machine, the cushioned spring-button M, pivoted to the under 40 JAS. H. WHITNEY.

Witnesses A. W. ALMQUISI, SIDNEY WILLIAMS. 

